Me: “Y.M.B.F.K.M.!” Someone should be fired for this ridiculous process. There’s a seat at the HR table.

-Too good to get her hands dirty with politics employee: “I’m not going to play those games.”

Me: Don’t play games. Just figure out who has power and how you can get some of it. Otherwise….sorry, but you’ll be road kill.

Paying the Price for Pushing Back:

I was recently asked by a CEO to coach an executive who was allegedly struggling to fit in with the rest of the management team. I asked to sit-in and observe the individual in action across a couple of management team working and planning meetings.

After the final session, the CEO asked me if I saw evidence of the problem in action.

My answer was, “Yes, just not the problem you think you have.”

He looked at me a bit puzzled.

I followed up: “My counsel is to consider promoting the executive you perceive as a trouble-maker. She’s the only one on your team not trying to protect turf. She’s the only one with the courage to highlight gaps and suggest new approaches. Everyone else is involved in some imagined game of chess for power and influence. They don’t like this executive because she dares to challenge conventional wisdom on your team.”

I followed with: “I would like to take on the assignment of coaching your executive team on how to behave more like this executive.”

I didn’t get the gig.

Conventional wisdom would have suggested I play along with the CEO and attempt to coach this free-thinking executive to behave more like the others.

Did I mention I don’t bow to conventional wisdom, even at the cost of a high paying contract?

Best deal I didn’t land all year.

9 Suggestions for Fighting Back Against Conventional Wisdom:

1. Quit looking out the same window.

The window is a metaphor for how you view the world.

Most leaders look exclusively through the lens of their industry and customers.

The genetically modified, self-driving, semi-organic disruption that will run you over isn’t coming from that direction.

2. Fire people who tell you what you want to hear.

Seriously. Enough said.

3. Fire yourself if you create an environment where people are fearful of telling you their real perspective.

Fear is the mind killer. It’s also an organization killer.

4. Constantly ask, “What are you hearing that’s new?”

OK, I am shamelessly ripping off a great anecdote from Ram Charan on how he described the relentless “What’s new?” questioning of former GE Chairman, Jack Welch.

My translation: “What do you know that’s new that I don’t?”

5. Don’t send in the clones. Or, the clowns.

Quit hiring people like you. Now.

6. Build strategy refresh into your operating routine.

Constantly ask and answer these questions: What’s happening? How should we act? What specific actions should we take?

7. Scout your own talent.

Quit outsourcing this critical task to people and functions incapable of getting it right.

8. Push people out ahead of their experiences as a core part of supporting their development. The words, “He’s not ready,” should never pass your lips.

There’s no better way to help them gain experience. Observe and coach.

9. Question your premises. No, not your office, the logical assumptions that guide you through life.

Chances are the logical constructs that define how you think and view the world need a tune-up. Have the presence of mind to challenge yourself to rethink how you think.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

You don’t have to be a jerk to fight the conventional wisdom and “tried and true” practices. In fact, the most effective practitioners relentlessly pursue driving results from their ideas and counter-intuitive approaches. Done properly, they grow credibility and gain a following. It’s a beautiful thing when the people around you are thinking faster and harder about why your old approaches no longer hunt. When that happens, smile and let them go long and deep!

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Art Petty is a coach, speaker and workshop presenter focusing on helping professionals and organizations learn to survive and thrive in an era of change. When he is not speaking, Art serves senior executives, business owners and high potential professionals as a coach and strategy advisor. Additionally, Art’s books are widely used in leadership development programs. To learn more or discuss a challenge, contact Art.

About

Art Petty is a former software industry senior executive and a popular leadership and management author, executive coach and speaker.Art’s practical and powerful business guidance is reflected in his multiple books and popular Management Excellence and Leadership Caffeine blog posts.